On the south it borders on
the kingdom of Adel, from the mountains of which country the river
Obi descends, and falls into the sea at the town of Quilimane in the
kingdom of Melinda.
[Footnote 151: It is not worth while to inquire whence this ridiculous
legend of king or Saint Jovarus has been derived. The origin of
Christianity in Abyssinia will be considered on an after occasion, when
we come to the particular travels in that country. - E.]
The kings of Abyssinia pretend to descend from King Solomon by the queen
of Sheba or Saba; who being delivered by the way, named her son
Melech, and sent him to his father, to be by him declared king of
Ethiopia. Whereupon Solomon anointed him, and gave him the name of
David, after his grandfather. Solomon likewise appointed him a
household, giving him officers of his own, and sent with him as high
priest, Azaria the son of Zadoc, who stole the tables of the law from
the temple of Jerusalem, and carried them along with his new prince. It
is affirmed that the descendants of these original officers still
possess the same employments. The Abyssinians had some knowledge of the
law of Christ from Queen Candace, in whom they glory as being of their
country:
